Switzerland secured a 2-0 victory over defending champions Italy in the Euro 2024 round of 16 clash at Berlin's Olympia Stadium on Saturday. The Swiss dominated possession from the outset, putting Italy on the defensive. Despite their control, Murat Yakin's team had to wait until the 24th minute for Breel Embolo's shot to test Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The breakthrough came in the 37th minute when Ruben Vargas set up Remo Feulner with a precise pass, and Feulner calmly slotted the ball past Donnarumma. Just before halftime, Donnarumma was forced to tip Fabian Rieder's dangerous free kick over the bar to keep Italy within reach.
Switzerland continued their aggressive play into the second half and quickly doubled their lead through Vargas, who finished off a swift counterattack with a clinical strike into the top corner. Italy struggled to muster a response but came close in the 74th minute when Gianluca Scamacca hit the post.
"We were also lucky. The almost own goal was a shock moment, but the team were great, and we were able to defend the result to the end. I hope this is not the end of the road for us and we can keep making history," said Switzerland coach Yakin.
"It hurts to go out like this, we apologise to everyone. They deserved it. We struggled the whole match. In the first half, we lost too many balls. It was tough, a very tough match to digest. In the first half we did badly because they always had the ball. We wanted to start better in the second half, but we conceded a goal straight away instead," said Italy goalkeeper Donnarumma.
Despite late pressure from Italy, Switzerland held firm defensively, with goalkeeper Yann Sommer playing a crucial role in preserving their lead. Reflecting on the match, Switzerland coach Yakin acknowledged their fortune and praised his team
